Home›Lesson Plans›English Language Arts›Reading: Comprehension · Grade 3

Making Inferences: Reading Between the Lines

Students learn that good readers are detectives — combining clues the author gives with what they already know to figure out things the text never says out loud.

Grade 3Comprehension45 minutes1 class periodReading WorkshopExplicit teaching4 StandardsCommon Core
Start the Lesson
Lesson at a Glance

Everything you need before the bell rings

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to…

  • ✓Explain that an inference uses clues plus what you know.
  • ✓Find text clues that support an inference.
  • ✓Choose the best inference and rule out weak ones.
  • ✓Support an inference with evidence from the text.
Essential Question

The author never says “it’s raining” — but you just know. How do readers figure out what a text doesn’t say directly?

0
Lesson Phases
0
Vocabulary Terms
0
Standards Aligned
0
Interactive Task
Read Between the Lines · Interactive

Read Between the Lines

Project each clue and read it aloud. Have students combine the text clue with what they know, then choose the best inference — the tool explains the reasoning.

🕵️ Text clue + what you know = inferenceTry it
Read the clue. What can you infer?
The Lesson · Reading Workshop (Mini-Lesson · Practice · Share)

45 minutes, five moves

Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.

1

Connect — The Unsaid Thing

5 min

Read a clue — what do you just “know”?

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Read a clue sentence (umbrella + rain boots).
  • Ask what’s happening — even though it isn’t stated.
  • Set the goal: make inferences.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Say what they think is happening.
  • Notice the text never said it.
  • Predict what “infer” means.
2

Teach — Model the Formula

10 min

Teacher shows clue + schema = inference.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Introduce: text clue + what I know = inference.
  • Model it on one example aloud.
  • Show how to rule out a weak guess.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Follow the formula.
  • Name the clue and their own knowledge.
  • See why a wrong choice doesn’t fit.
3

Active Engagement — Infer Together

12 min

Class uses Read Between the Lines.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Work through the interactive clues.
  • Have students name the clue before choosing.
  • Discuss why the best answer wins.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Find the clue in each.
  • Choose the best inference.
  • Explain the reasoning.
4

Independent Practice — Your Turn

13 min

Students infer in a short text.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Give a short passage.
  • Ask for an inference + text evidence.
  • Push for “How do you know?”

🎒 Student Actions

  • Make an inference from the text.
  • Cite the clue that supports it.
  • Explain what they already knew.
5

Share — Share the Thinking

5 min

Students share an inference + evidence.

👩‍🏫 Teacher Moves

  • Invite students to share.
  • Compare clue + knowledge for each.
  • Hand out the exit ticket.

🎒 Student Actions

  • Share an inference.
  • Point to the clue.
  • Complete the exit ticket.
Standards Alignment

Built to the standards you report on

Aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts.

CCSS
RL.3.1

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding, referring explicitly to the text.

CCSS
RI.3.1

Ask and answer questions, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.

CCSS
RL.4.1

Refer to details and examples when explaining what the text says and when drawing inferences.

CCSS
SL.3.1

Engage effectively in collaborative discussions, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own.

Differentiation

One lesson, every learner

Multilingual Learners

ELL / EMERGING READERS
  • Act out a clue scene and “read” it.
  • Sentence frame: “The clue is ___. I know ___. So ___.”
  • Provide picture clues alongside text.

Support & Access

IEP / 504
  • Offer two choices instead of three.
  • Provide the “what you know” part.
  • Start with strongly clued examples.

Stretch & Extend

GIFTED / EARLY FINISHERS
  • Infer a character’s feelings from their actions.
  • Support an inference with two clues.
  • Explain a wrong inference and why it fails.
Materials

What to gather

  • 📽️Projector / board
  • 📓Reading notebooks
  • 💻Read Between the Lines
  • 📄Short passages
  • 🖍️Highlighters
  • 🎫Exit-ticket slips
Vocabulary

Key terms — hover for a quick definition

inferencea smart guess from clues + knowledgeinferto figure out what isn’t statedtext cluea detail the author givesschemawhat you already knowevidenceproof from the textconclusionwhat you decideimplyto hint without saying directlysupportto back up with evidence
Evaluate

Exit Ticket

Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.

QUESTION 1
What two things do you combine to make an inference?
A text clue (what the author says) plus what you already know.
QUESTION 2
“Jake put on his mitt, grabbed a bat, and ran out the door with a big smile.” What can you infer?
Jake is going to play baseball (clue: mitt + bat; what you know: those are baseball gear).
QUESTION 3
Why isn’t “Jake is going to the beach” a good inference for that sentence?
Nothing in the clues points to the beach — a mitt and bat point to baseball, so it isn’t supported by the text.

Going deeper? Infer a character’s feelings.

Give students short scenes and have them infer how the character feels, citing the action clue and what they know about feelings. A printable inference organizer is in the ELA library.

Study · Flashcards

Study the key terms

Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.

🃏 Making InferencesFlip
Card 1
Term
Tap to flip →
Meaning
0

Nice work!

Practice · Quiz

Check your understanding

A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.

📝 Making InferencesQuiz
Score: 0
1 / 6
Question 1
0%

Nice work!

Practice · Worksheet

Printable worksheet

A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.

🖨️ Making InferencesPrint
Name: ________________________
Date: ____________

Part A · Write the word that matches each meaning

Word bank: conclusion, evidence, imply, infer, inference, schema, support, text clue
  1. to hint without saying directly
  2. to back up with evidence
  3. proof from the text
  4. what you decide
  5. a smart guess from clues + knowledge
  6. what you already know
  7. to figure out what isn’t stated
  8. a detail the author gives

Part B · Show what you learned

  1. What two things do you combine to make an inference?
  2. “Jake put on his mitt, grabbed a bat, and ran out the door with a big smile.” What can you infer?
  3. Why isn’t “Jake is going to the beach” a good inference for that sentence?
Answer key — Part A: 1) imply · 2) support · 3) evidence · 4) conclusion · 5) inference · 6) schema · 7) infer · 8) text clue
Part B: 1) A text clue (what the author says) plus what you already know. 2) Jake is going to play baseball (clue: mitt + bat; what you know: those are baseball gear). 3) Nothing in the clues points to the beach — a mitt and bat point to baseball, so it isn’t supported by the text.